Positive sense of place (local built and/or natural environment) enhanced

Objective: Positive sense of place in the local built and/or natural environment to be enhanced

Outcome: Positive sense of place in the local built and/or natural environment is enhanced

Measure: Positive sense of place in the local build and/or natural environment enhanced

Short description

By positive sense of place, we mean how we experience and make meaning of our environment both natural and built and how we describe, interact and value it.

Full description and underpinning theory

Full description

This outcome is about people’s sense of place of the built or natural environment that can be enhanced through cultural engagement. By sense of place we mean how people experience, interact with and value place, in the natural world but also the environment that has been constructed by humans. A sense of place enables people to appreciate their environment and positively interact with its ecology. This can lead to action toward a more sustainable future and support better environmental quality, thereby contributing to wellbeing.

Theory underpinning this outcome

Sense of place is generated from the meanings that are associated with a place (Tuan 1977, Poe, M., Donatuto, J., & Satterfield, T. (2016) which can be based on physical setting and the experiences we have in a place (Stedman, 2003, Tuan 1977). Central to sense of place are the emotional connections between people and place (Moore and Graefe 1994). The meanings connected with a place are often developed over time and linked to social and spiritual connections and environmental learning (Ingold, 2000). Sense of place can be linked to the notion of authenticity (Sepe, 2013) in that a place is “unique, distinctive and rooted in the local” (Southworth and Ruggeri, 2010). Positive meaning and connection to a place is in part dependent on the experiences it affords people who spend time there (Ingold, 2000). The development of a sense of place is influenced by a person’s culture as the meanings that are shared within a culture form the basis upon which a sense of place is constructed (Steadman 2003). One study found that people’s sense of place was derived from four dimensions: ‘place making activities, cultural and familial heritage, personal and emotional experiences, and social-relational connections.’ (Poe, Donatuto and Satterfield, 2016). Attachment to place has been found to be significant for personal and community sense of belonging (Cuerrier et al., 2015) as well as increased desire to care for environments (Eisenhauer et al. 2000)

Evidence that this outcome occurs

(This item is currently in development. Updates will be posted here as they are completed)

One research study into the effects of major cultural events on a city’s inhabitants found that one the impacts was an increased sense of place and local identity. (Liu, 2014)

Activities and processes contributing to this outcome

Evaluation measure

References

(This section is currently in development. Updates will be posted here as they are completed.)

Eisenhauer, B. W., R. S. Krannich, and D. J. Blahna. 2000. Attachments to special places on public lands: An analysis of activities, reason for attachments, and community connections. Society and Natural Resources 13 (5):421–441

Ingold, T. (2000).The perception of the environment: Essays in livelihood, dwelling, and skill. London: Routledge.

Liu, Y. (2014). Socio-Cultural Impacts of Major Event: Evidence From the 2008 European Capital of Culture, Liverpool. Social Indicators Research, 115(3), 983-998.

Poe, M., Donatuto, J., & Satterfield, T. (2016). “Sense of Place”: Human Wellbeing Considerations for Ecological Restoration in Puget Sound. Coastal Management: Interdisciplinary Science for a Changing Ocean: A Special Issue in Honor of Mark Plummer, 44(5), 409-426.

Sepe, M. (2013). Planning and place in the city mapping place identity. New York: Routledge.

Southworth, M and Ruggeri (2010) Beyond Placelessness, place identity and the global city. In Banerjee, T & Loukaitou-Sideris, A. (2010). Companion to Urban Design. Routledge.

Stedman, R. (2003). Is It Really Just a Social Construction?: The Contribution of the Physical Environment to Sense of Place. Society & Natural Resources, 16(8), 671-685.